Prognosis - Financial Savings

INTRODUCTION

Prognosis is the world’s first and only diagnostics system for Differential Pressure Meters. The patented technology, proven to be extremely powerful both in theory and in practice, has been adopted by Operators world-wide. Prognosis provides real-time monitoring of meter performance and assurance of meter accuracy as well as instant alerts of meter performance shift and miss-measurement.

• By reading three Differential Pressures across the meter body, the self-diagnostic capabilities of any standard DP meter are realized
• The Prognosis system uses the three DP measurements as well as other process conditions and meter geometry to monitor the meter’s performance in real time
• The diagnostic results are represented as 4 points and a box. If the points remain inside the box, this ensures good flow measurement. If any of the points are outside of the box, there is reason to suspect a problem with the meter performance and an error in the reported flow rate prediction
• The Prognosis system will automatically indicate the NATURE of an issue based on the diagnostic response; in particular a secondary DP instrumentation issue is distinguished from a primary meter body based physical problem

SUMMARY

Prognosis is an extremely powerful condition based monitoring (CBM) tool that can be applied to any DP meter including Orifice, Venturi, Cone, Pitot Tubes, Flow Nozzles, Wedge meters measuring single phase liquid, single phase gas or wet gas flows.

FINANCIAL CASE STUDIES

Prognosis can be used as part of a Conditioned Based Maintenance strategy, as actively encouraged by DECC. It can offer operators reductions in maintenance costs and miss-measurement exposure. For many operators, it is for these reasons alone that they choose to invest in Prognosis. The following examples illustrate the financial benefits, and the corresponding investment payback period, that can be realised if Prognosis is utilised.

Example 1

Incorrect Meter Geometry

Meter Details	16", 0.6 beta orifice (Pipe ID 348.996 mm)
Meter Throughput	3,000,000 SCMD
Cause of error	Finger Trouble, : Actual orifice diameter of 208.026 mm mistakenly entered into the flow computer as 200.026 mm
Mis-measurement	8.5% under reading bias in meter's flow rate prediction
Cost of mis-measurement which may otherwise have gone undetected
After 1 day	£56,100.00
After 30 days	£1,683,000.00
Payback periods
Payback of initial license fee (£5,000.00)	2 hours 8 minutes
Payback of total installation (£13,000.00 incl. license	5 hours 34 minutes

*Product priced at £0.22/SCM

Example 2

Inaccurate Discharge Coefficient

Meter Details	8", 0.4 beta venturi (Pipe ID 182.36 mm)
Meter Throughput	800,000 SCMD
Cause of Error	Calibration data for Discharge Coefficient entered incorrectly into the measurement system (typing mistake or incorrect calibration certificate). Calibrated Cd is 0.9953 whereas in use Cd is 0.9952
Mis-measurement	0.5% bias in meter's flow rate prediction
Cost of miss-measurement which may otherwise have gone undetected
After 1 day	£880.00
After 30 days	£26,400.00
Payback periods
Payback of initial license fee (£5,000.00)	6 days, 6 hours
Payback of total installation (£13,000.00 incl. license	16 days, 6 hours

*Product priced at £0.22/SCM

Example 3

Meter Installation Fault

Meter Details	4", 0.5 beta Orifice
Cause of error	Orifice installed back to front after routine inspection
Mis-measurement	17.0% under reading bias bias in meter's flow rate prediction
Cost of mis-measurement which may otherwise have gone undetected
After 1 day	$2,082.50
After 30 days	$62,475.00
Payback periods
Payback of initial license fee ($8,000.00)	3 days, 20 hours
Payback of total installation ($20,000.00 incl. license	9 days, 14 hours

*Product priced at £3.51/1000CF